Early electric irons, self-heating flat irons, sad irons Early electric irons Subscribe to RSS feed or get email updates. The electric flat iron plays also an important part in the laundry as it is clean and never gets too hot nor too cold and there is no rushing back to replenish the heaters. One is not obliged to remain in the room with a hot stove, and suffer the inconveniences. No heat is felt at all from the iron as it is all concentrated on the bottom surface. It is a regular blessing to the laundress especially in hot weather. There is a growing demand in all parts of the country [USA] for these electric flat-irons. Paul Severing, Marvels of Modern Science, c1910 The electrical exhibition officially opened by Sir William Preece at Olympia, London, on Saturday illustrates in a striking way the remarkable developments which have taken place in recent years in every branch of electrical science. ... Practical demonstrations are given of laundry work, electric irons and other up-to-date apparatus being used. The Scotsman, 1911 Then the epoch has appeared which may be properly styled the "Happy" or "Golden Age".

For many cares and sorrows will be removed at once. The conscientious housekeeper, for instance, whose domestic duties often exhaust her bodily strength, will find her burdens greatly lightened. She has no more to suffer from the intolerable heat of her cooking-stove... ...In like manner the electric flat-iron will smoothen her linen without fatiguing her. But not only the lady of the house will rejoice; also the poor, hen-pecked husband will be in transports of delight, as it will make his path easier in many ways. The constant complaints he was hitherto obliged to endure, will grow mute for ever... Johanna S. Wisthaler, By Water to the Columbian Exposition, 1894 Sales of vacuum cleaners in 1924 are estimated at 1,250,000, valued at $69,000,000, and of electric irons 2,500,000 valued at $14,750,000.

New York Times, 1925 Electric Iron Wins Poll, with Radio Set Second A radio receiving set is the most essential household electrical appliance, next to the electric iron, according to a survey among 1017 housewives in New Jersey conducted by McCall's Magazine. The votes were as follows: irons, 68.9 per cent; radios, 64.4; vacuum cleaners, 63.3; refrigerators, 38; washing machines, 36.3. New York Times, 1935 DVD about Westinghouse history, including its rivalry with Edison's General Electric, from Amazon.com Early electric irons Electrical self-heating flat-irons, electric sad-irons The search for a foolproof "self-heating flat iron" was under way by the mid-19th century. In 1852 a patent was issued in the US for a new, improved charcoal-burning iron which would make "practicable the permanent heating of smoothing irons".

By 1860 there were gas irons available in several countries, with rubber tubing to connect them to gas light fittings or to canisters, and then there were numerous designs for irons with internal burners and little piggyback tanks of liquid fuel. Any inventor who had ever been near the room where ironing was done knew it was a hot, tiring job. Whatever the weather, the housewife/laundress would work beside a hot stove or hearth, with at least two irons, probably three, moving them from stove to ironing table and back again in a cycle of heating, pressing and re-heating. Meanwhile she must keep the irons spotlessly clean with no trace of ash to soil the clean linen. As we now know, the electric iron solved these problems better than any other self-heating apparatus, while charcoal-filled irons remain popular today in many less-electrified parts of the world. By the early 1880s more than one person had considered powering ironing with electricity, but Henry W. Seely of New York was the first inventor to make this idea workable and patent it too.

Seely developed a design in 1881, got a patent in 1882, and then worked with his partner, Dyer, to patent a different "electric flat iron" in 1883. Seely and Dyer had doubts about having the iron continuously plugged in, as "connecting [it] permanently with the circuit [...] may be inconvenient in some cases". They invented a sort of "cordless" iron, on a stand heated by electricity. (Lower picture left) This echoed developments in using gas for ironing, where gas-fed iron-heaters or ironing-stoves were serious rivals to irons on lengths of rubber tubing. Uncertain claims that there was an even earlier electric iron in France seem to be connected with two different dates given to an early French iron in London's Science Museum. However, this French museum expert is sceptical about such claims. By the early 20th century enthusiasm was building for the new electric smoothing irons: clean, powerful, adjustable, and labour-saving. ...not only the lady of the house will rejoice; also the poor, hen-pecked husband will be in transports of delight...

(Johanna Wisthaler, 1894 - see left-hand column) They didn't make you roasting hot, and they didn't carry soot or ash. As the advertisement says, they were better than three flat irons. And yet, there were still plenty of traditionalists who stuck with flat irons (aka sad irons) well into the middle of the 20th century, even when they lived in a home with a good electricity supply. The Hotpoint iron , designed by Earl H. Richardson of Ontario, California, was launched in 1905, and was the first electric iron to have any commercial success. By the 1920s enough people had homes wired for electricity for electric clothes irons to spread fast across the US. They were also selling well in some parts of Europe. By 1932 17.5 percent of Swiss homes had one, more than in the US, according to Iván Berend in An Economic History of Twentieth-Century Europe . The Waage ad (above right) for an iron with hot, medium, and low settings, appeared in the 1920s.

By the 1930s the iron's only rival for "most popular electrical home appliance" was the radio. In 1941 79 per cent of American households had an electric iron, according to the Monthly Labor Review for December 1945. I, Henry W. Seely... have invented a new and useful electric flat-iron... The object of my invention is to utilize electric currents derived from any suitable source of electric energy for the purpose of heating flat-irons, fluting-irons, and other similar utensils. To accomplish this object I place within the iron and close to its face a resistance, preferably of carbon, and of such size and shape that it will heat the face of the irons sufficiently and equally. This resistance has terminals, by means of which it may be connected in an electric circuit, preferably a multiple arc circuit of an electric lighting system.... (Written in 1881) More about vintage electric irons Note that most of the early irons have the electric cord pointing upward towards a ceiling light fitting.

HMV 'Ceramic' electric iron, c 1936 For the 1883 patent, Seely and Dyer wrote: ...The other object being to provide a more durable flat-iron, and one which can be more readily repaired in the old form, and also to provide a means for heating such irons without connecting them permanently with the circuit, which may be inconvenient in some cases. In carrying out our invention we use, as the heating resistance contained in the base of the iron, instead of the carbon sticks of the patent referred to, a layer of some pulverized or finely divided substance which is a highly resistant conductor of electricity. This may be lamp black or powdered carbon of other character... 29 August 2007 Who was Henry W. Seely? WARNING Watch out for incorrect biographical information repeated on various websites - probably a hoax - scroll down for more info. Biographical information on Henry W. Seely is scarce, but we know he was connected with people who are better-known figures in American history. In 1882 he kept only one third of the rights in his now his famous electric flat-iron patent and assigned the other two thirds to Samuel Insull and Richard N.

Dyer, Thomas Edison's patent attorney. At that time Seely was in New York City, but in 1883 patent documents say he was "of Menlo Park, New Jersey". He was a witness to many of Edison's patents, including his 1881 "incandescing electric lamp". For a couple of years in the early 1880s the H. W. Seely signature appeared on more than 100 patents, and he went on acting as an occasional witness up to 1892. Henry W. Seely was in partnership with Dyer for some years, but Dyer had other legal/business partnerships too. Dyer & Seely are often mentioned in a collection of Edison's papers and the firm is named in New York Times reports of major legal cases defending Edison's light bulb and phonograph patents. But it was Dyer who appeared in court, not Seely. The Dyer family were socially prominent (in East Orange, NJ), but apparently Seely was not. Did he have any idea how useful and popular "his" invention might become?

The 1883 patent suggests he and Dyer had their doubts about the practicality of an iron that had to be hooked up to an electric circuit. Was he right to doubt his own version of the electric iron? How much, if anything, did Seely's invention have to do with Richardson's Hotpoint iron which was successfully manufactured and marketed (unlike Seely's)? Warning: If you see a "biography" claiming Seely was born in Richville, KY, this is almost certainly based on an ehow page, now removed, that I believe started as a "joke". As far as I know there is no Richville, KY , and no evidence that Seely had 5 children, some with unusual names like Gintal. Dates and other details are probably bogus too. Unfortunately they have been picked up on various webpages, including another ehow page. Please get in touch if you know more about Seely's life. I've done some preliminary research and hope to put together some more biographical info later this year.

Back to top of page You may like our new sister site Home Things Past where you'll find articles about antiques, vintage kitchen stuff, crafts, and other things to do with home life in the past. There's space for comments and discussion too. Please do take a look and add your thoughts. (Comments don't appear instantly.) For sources please refer to the books page, and/or the excerpts quoted on the pages of this website, and note that many links lead to museum sites. Feel free to ask if you're looking for a specific reference - feedback is always welcome anyway. Unfortunately, it's not possible to help you with queries about prices or valuation. Household Appliances Timeline - Greatest Engineering Achievements of the Twentieth Century Household Appliances Timeline The technologies that created the 20th century's laborsaving household devices owe a huge debt to electrification, which brought light and power into the home. Then two major engineering innovations—resistance heating and small, efficient motors—led to electric stoves and irons, vacuum cleaners, washers, dryers, and dishwashers.

In the second half of the century advances in electronics yielded appliances that could be set on timers and even programmed, further reducing the domestic workload by allowing washing and cooking to go on without the presence of the human launderer or cook. Engine-powered vacuum cleaner British civil engineer H. Cecil Booth patents a vacuum cleaner powered by an engine and mounted on a horse-drawn cart. Teams of operators would reel the hoses into buildings to be cleaned. 1903 Lightweight electric iron introduced Earl Richardson of Ontario, California, introduces the lightweight electric iron. After complaints from customers that it overheated in the center, Richardson makes an iron with more heat in the point, useful for pressing around buttonholes and ruffles. Soon his customers are clamoring for the "iron with the hot point"—and in 1905 Richardson’s trademark iron is born. 1905 Electric filaments improved Engineer Albert Marsh patents the nickel and chromium alloy nichrome, used to make electric filaments that can heat up quickly without burning out. The advent of nichrome paves the way, 4 years later, for the first electric toaster.

1907 First practical domestic vacuum cleaner James Spangler, a janitor at an Ohio department store who suffers from asthma, invents his "electric suction-sweeper," the first practical domestic vacuum cleaner. It employs an electric fan to generate suction, rotating brushes to loosen dirt, a pillowcase for a filter, and a broomstick for a handle. Unsuccessful with his heavy, clumsy invention, Spangler sells the rights the following year to a relative, William Hoover, whose redesign of the appliance coincides with the development of the small, high-speed universal motor, in which the same current (either AC or DC) passes through the appliance’s rotor and stator. This gives the vacuum cleaner more horsepower, higher airflow and suction, better engine cooling, and more portability than was possible with the larger, heavier induction motor. And the rest, as they say, is history. 1909 First commercially successful electric toaster Frank Shailor of General Electric files a patent application for the D-12, the first commercially successful electric toaster. The D-12 has a single heating element and no exterior casing.

It has no working parts, no controls, and no sensors; a slice of bread must be turned by hand to toast on both sides. 1913 First refrigerator for home use Fred W. Wolf of Fort Wayne, Indiana, invents the first refrigerator for home use, a small unit mounted on top of an old-fashioned icebox and requiring external plumbing connections. Only in 1925 would a hermetically sealed standalone home refrigerator of the modern type, based on pre-1900 work by Marcel Audiffren of France and by self-trained machinist Christian Steenstrup of Schenectady, New York, be commercially introduced. This and other early models use toxic gases such as methyl chloride and sulfur dioxide as refrigerants. On units not hermetically sealed, leaks—and resulting explosions and poisonings—are not uncommon, but the gas danger ends in 1929 with the advent of Freon-operated compressor refrigerators for home kitchens. 1913 First electric dishwasher on the market The Walker brothers of Philadelphia produce the first electric dishwasher to go on the market, with full-scale commercialization by Hotpoint and others in 1930. 1915 Calrod developed Charles C.

Abbot of General Electric develops an electrically insulating, heat conducting ceramic "Calrod" that is still used in many electrical household appliances as well as in industry. 1919 First automatic pop-up toaster Charles Strite’s first automatic pop-up toaster uses a clockwork mechanism to time the toasting process, shut off the heating element when the bread is done, and release the slice with a pop-up spring. The invention finally reaches the marketplace in 1926 under the name Toastmaster. 1927 First iron with an adjustable temperature control The Silex Company introduces the first iron with an adjustable temperature control. The thermostat, devised by Joseph Myers, is made of pure silver. 1927 First garbage disposal John W. Hammes, a Racine, Wisconsin, architect, develops the first garbage disposal in his basement because he wants to make kitchen cleanup work easier for his wife. Nicknamed the "electric pig" when first introduced by the Emerson Electric Company, the appliance operates on the principle of centrifugal force to pulverize food waste against a stationary grind ring so it would easily flush down the drain. 1930s (Mid) Washing machine to wash, rinse, and extract water from clothes John W.

Chamberlain of Bendix Corporation invents a device that enables a washing machine to wash, rinse, and extract water from clothes in a single operation. This eliminates the need for cumbersome and often dangerous powered wringer rolls atop the machine. 1935 First clothes dryer To spare his mother having to hang wet laundry outside in the brutal North Dakota winter, J. Ross Moore builds an oil-heated drum in a shed next to his house, thereby creating the first clothes dryer. Moore’s first patented dryers run on either gas or electricity, but he is forced to sell the design to the Hamilton Manufacturing Company the following year because of financial difficulties. 1945 Magnetron discovered to melt candy, pop corn, and cook an egg Raytheon Corporation engineer Percy L. Spencer’s realization that the vacuum tube, or magnetron, he is testing can melt candy, pop corn, and cook an egg leads to the first microwave oven. Raytheon’s first model, in 1947, stands 5.5 feet tall, weighs more than 750 pounds, and sells for $5,000.

It is quickly superseded by the equally gigantic but slightly less expensive Radarange; easily affordable countertop models are not marketed until 1967. 1947 First top-loading automatic washer The Nineteen Hundred Corporation introduces the first top-loading automatic washer, which Sears markets under the Kenmore label. Billed as a "suds saver," the round appliance sells for $239.95. 1952 First automatic coffeepot Russell Hobbs invents the CP1, the first automatic coffeepot as well as the first of what would become a successful line of appliances. The percolator regulates the strength of the coffee according to taste and has a green warning light and bimetallic strip that automatically cuts out when the coffee is perked. 1962 Spray mist added to iron Sunbeam ushers in a new era in iron technology by adding "spray mist" to the steam and dry functions of its S-5A model. The S-5A is itself an upgrade of the popular S-4 steam or dry iron that debuted in 1954.

1963 GE introduces the self-cleaning oven General Electric introduces the self-cleaning electric oven and in 1967 the first electronic oven control—beginning the revolution that would see microprocessors incorporated into household appliances of all sorts. 1972 First percolator with an automatic drip process Sunbeam develops the Mr. Coffee, the first percolator with an automatic drip process as well as an automatic cut-off control that lessens the danger of over-brewing. Mr. Coffee quickly becomes the country’s leading coffeemaker. 1978 First electronic sewing machine Singer introduces the Athena 2000, the world’s first electronic sewing machine. A wide variety of stitches, from basic straight to complicated decorative, are available at the touch of a button. The "brain" of the system is a chip that measures less than one-quarter of an inch and contains more than 8,000 transistors. 1990s Environmentally friendly washers and dryers Environmentally friendly washers and dryers that save water and conserve energy are introduced.

They include the horizontal-axis washer, which tumbles rather than agitates the clothes and uses a smaller amount of water, and a dryer with sensors, rather than a timer, that shuts the appliance off when the clothes are dry. 1997 First prototype of a robotic vacuum cleaner Swedish appliance company Electrolux presents the first prototype of a robotic vacuum cleaner. The device, billed as "the world’s first true domestic robot," sends and receives high-frequency ultrasound to negotiate its way around a room, much as bats do. In the production model, launched in Sweden a few years later, eight microphones receive and measure the returning signals to give the vacuum an accurate picture of the room. It calculates the size of a room by following around the walls for 90 seconds to 15 minutes, after which it begins a zigzag cleaning pattern and turns itself off when finished. Who Invented the Electric Flat Iron? Share By Mary Bellis Hand irons are devices used for garment pressing. Irons have been heated directly by gas flame, stove plate heat, or, in the case of the modern iron, by electricity. Henry W. Seely patented the electric flat iron in 1882.

Before Electricity The use of hot, flat surfaces to smooth out fabrics and reduce creasing dates back thousands of years and can be found in many early civilizations. In China, for instance, hot charcoal in metal pans was used. Smoothing Stones have been around since the 8th and 9th century and are known as the earliest western ironing devices, looking somewhat like large mushrooms. At the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, a variety of metal vessels were made that could bring a hot surface to rumpled cloth. Such early irons were also known as flatirons or sadirons, meaning “solid” irons. Some were filled with hot materials, such as coals. Others were placed directly in a fire until their ironing surfaces were hot enough for use. continue reading below our video How to Negotiate Your Bills Lower It was not uncommon to rotate multiple flatirons through a fire so that one would always be ready after others had cooled down. In 1871, a model of iron with removable handles—to avoid having them heat up as the iron did—was introduced and marketed as “Mrs. Potts’ Removable Handle Iron.” The Electric Iron On June 6, 1882, Henry W.

Seely of New York City patented the electric iron, at the time called an electric flatiron. Early electric irons developed around the same time in France used a carbon arc to create heat, however, this proved unsafe and commercially unsuccessful. In 1892, hand irons using electrical resistance were introduced by Crompton and Co. and the General Electric Company, allowing for the regulation of the iron’s heat. As the popularity of handheld electric irons took off, sales were propelled even more by the introduction during the early 1950s of electric steam irons. Today, the future of the iron appears uncertain. The latest technological developments have come not from the iron industry, but from the fashion industry. An increasing number of shirts and pants these days are sold as wrinkle-free … no ironing required. The Greatest Inventions Since (manufactured) Bread? | Science Museum Blog The Greatest Inventions Since (manufactured) Bread?

By Selina Hurley | 4 September 2012 After learning about the manufacturing process of bread during a bread baking course Pippa Murray got to thinking about what other mass produced products used in our day to day lives have evolved in order to save us time… Traditionally bread making is a lengthy process. Hours of kneading, proving and baking produce just one meagre loaf. It’s no wonder that so many of us choose to buy a loaf from the shops instead of making it ourselves! The invention of the Chorleywood bread process in 1961 transformed bread into a product that could be manufactured on mass and distributed to stores nationwide. This got me thinking what other inventions that have had a similar time saving affect on our lives. Below are a just a smattering of these, often overlooked, household products that can be found in the Making Modern World gallery at the Science Museum. Microwave oven, 1968 ( Science Museum, London ) The microwave oven was invented by accident after the Second World War when a self-taught engineer named Percy Spencer was building radar equipment in a lab for Raytheon . While he had been building magnetrons , he noticed that a chocolate bar in his pocket started to melt.

He realised that microwaves can be directed at food to heat it up rapidly. The conventional microwave oven hit the market in 1967 quickly followed a succession of tantalising microwavable meals. Sunbeam Ironmaster Model X21 electric dry iron, 1955 ( Science Museum, London ) The humble electric steam iron is not the most exciting of objects (or chores) but arguably one of the most important, popular and widely used domestic electric appliances. The electric iron was invented in 1882 by Henry W. Seeley but it was only until 1938, when the Steam-O-Matic electric steam iron was released did the object become popular, leading the way to more widespread use of the electric steam iron during the 1940s and 1950s. This model above is one of the earlier Goblin "Teasmade", Model D.25B, 1966, first model made at Leatherhead Works ( Science Museum, London ) And my personal favourite the Teasmade , a multi faceted alarm clock come tea/coffee maker.

Designed in 1902 by Albert E Richardson who decided to combine an alarm clock with a small kettle so that the user awoke to a freshly poured cup of tea. Several years later Teasmade trademarked it and developed the product seen above. A great invention but how many of us have them on our bedside tables? Small appliances - AMDEA Small appliances Small appliances Air purifiers Air purification has been an on-going effort – to one degree or another – for over 200 years. Figuring that smoke, smog and soot make breathing difficult is not hard. The coughing and sputtering they cause prompted people in the early 1800s to find ways to protect against their effects. Advances in technology – and increasing awareness about the dangers of less obvious forms of pollution – eventually gave rise to the precursors to the modern air purifiers that so many of us rely on these days. Many companies have joined the air purification sector since its earliest days and consumers have more options than ever. As well as providing clean, healthy air, today’s quality air purifiers offer asthma, sinus and allergy relief for many people prone to those types of condition.

People using air purifiers regularly report that they sleep more soundly at night and generally just feel healthier overall. Blenders The blender was invented in 1922. This was initially used mainly for mixing drinks and became an important tool in hospitals for making special diets and, bizarrely, performed a vital role in the development of the vaccine for polio. Clothes steamers Clothing steamers remove wrinkles from fabric using steam rather than direct heat and pressure used with traditional irons. Steam emitted is much stronger than from a steam iron and the steamer does not need to be placed in direct contact with fabric or require an ironing board. Clothes are hung upright and steam is swept across them from a short distance away, making it safe to use on all fabrics. Clothing steamers can be used on curtains and other fabrics, so long as they are hung upright. Home steamers may come with features such as brush, larger water reservoir and different heat and steam settings. Some clothing steamers feature two-in-one: steamer and steam iron attachment, Always keep a steamer facing away from you to avoid burns. There is little danger of burning clothes, though a small number of fabrics will not be suitable. Check labels carefully.

Coffee machines For hundreds of years, making a cup of coffee was a simple process. Roasted and ground coffee beans were placed in pot or pan to which hot water was added, followed by a lid to start the infusion process. Up to the early 20th century, this method was considered adequate, boiling the brew until it smelled right and pouring it into a cup. Today’s coffee machines brew coffee without having to boil water in a separate container and different types of coffee-makers use a number of brewing principles. In the most common appliances, coffee grounds are placed in paper or metal filter inside a funnel set over a glass or ceramic coffee pot. Cold water is poured into a separate chamber which is then heated up to boiling point and directed into the funnel. Consumer demand for attractive appliances to complement modern kitchens has resulted in a new wave of redesigned coffee-makers in a wide range of colours and styles. Dehumidifiers A dehumidifier is typically a household appliance that reduces the level of humidity in the air, usually for health reasons. By their operation, dehumidifiers produce an excess of water which has been removed from the conditioned air. This water, usually called condensate in its liquid form, must be collected and disposed of.

Some dehumidifier designs dispose of excess water in a vapour, rather than liquid form. The energy efficiency of the dehumidification processes can vary widely. Very humid climates or air can make some people extremely uncomfortable causing excessive sweating that cannot evaporate in the already-moisture-saturated air. It can also cause condensation which can disrupt sleeping or prevent laundry from drying thoroughly enough to prevent mustiness. Higher humidity is also preferred by most pests, including clothes moths, fleas, cockroaches, woodlice and dust mites. Relative humidity in dwellings is preferably 30 to 50 per cent. Electric kettles The electric kettle is a very British product. Before the 1920s, people heated water for drinks and for cooking over the fire. Arthur Leslie Large in Birmingham invented the far more efficient electric kettle. Manufacturers rushed into the new market, and in 1930 the long-term success of the electric kettle was assured when the automatic cut-out was introduced. Electric food mixers An early food mixer was patented by Lillian Moller Gilbreth, an inventor, industrial engineer, industrial psychologist, pioneer of ergonomics, and mother of twelve children.

Renowned for her work recognising the effects of stress and lack of sleep on workers, Mrs Gilbreth patented many inventions designed to reduce the household workload and increase the efficiency of kitchen appliances, including shelving inside refrigerator doors and the iconic pedal bin. She also interviewed over 4,000 women in order to determine the ideal height for stoves, sinks and other kitchen fixtures. The prolific Mrs Gilbreth died in 1972 aged 94. Fans Electric fans debuted in the 1880s and by the early 20th century, many well-off folk owned models. The new crop of electric fans delivers both modern technology and retro appeal. Unlike air conditioners, fans only move air: they do not directly change its temperature. They work by evaporative cooling of sweat and increased heat conduction into the air, due to airflow from the fan. Thus, fans may become ineffective at cooling the body if surrounding air is near body temperature and contains high humidity. New bladeless technology features a circular tube mounted on a pedestal containing an electric motor. When switched on, air can be felt blowing through the tube.

Since there are no rotating blades, the breeze from the fan does not ‘buffet’ the user with short gusts of air Food steamers A food steamer or steam cooker prepares food in a sealed vessel that limits the escape of air or liquids below a pre-set pressure. Because steaming is a quick way to cook, foods have less time to lose their vitamins and nutrients compared to other cooking methods. Additionally, when food is steamed, it is more difficult to overcook – another common reason for lost vitamins and nutrients. Food steamers are used extensively in health diets as food is cooked without any oil. Another benefit is that food steamers can be purchased in different sizes, from a single tier to tiers of two, three and four. Electric Steamers are the quickest way of steaming as the water will boil in about 30 seconds and because most electric steamers have timers. Hair dryers Before the invention of the hairdryer, it was common for men and women to dry their hair using a vacuum cleaner. In fact, the original hairdryer was invented in France in 1890 by Alexandre Goldefroy for use in his hair salon, taking inspiration from the vacuum cleaner.

It was not portable and could only be used by the customer sitting underneath it. The size, weight, noise level and appearance of the hair dryer has dramatically changed from the heavy contraptions of the early 20th century to today’s streamlined, power blow dryers. Blow dryers usually impart volume and discipline to hairstyles which can be further improved by styling products and hairbrushes during drying. Attachments include diffusers to add volume, airflow concentrators to make hair dry more rapidly and comb nozzle attachments, ending with comb-like teeth so the user can dry their hair using just the dryer without brush or comb. Irons The electric flat iron was invented in 1882 by New York inventor Henry W. Seeley – but it weighed almost 15 pounds and took a long time to warm up. By the 20th century, iron technology had progressed considerably and in 1903, irons with electric cords directly attached were being sold.

The first thermostatically controlled electric iron was introduced in the 1920s as well as the first commercially available electric steam iron.While cordless steam irons are available in the UK, many more models are now designed to ensure the cord will not get tangled up as you work. Today, most steam irons have self-cleaning systems and many have extras such as an anti-calcium function – a button to press when cleaning the iron to force lime scale from eventually clogging the steam vents. Some irons have a fail-safe which will switch off the iron automatically if it has not been used for a period of time. For those who prefer a steamer, there is a variety of quality appliances to choose from, including garment steamers for those looking to speedily remove creases from clothes and give a freshly ironed finish and hand held steamers for an easy portable solution. Steaming water taps The industry now also offers a range of water taps which provide 98°C steaming hot and cold filtered water. This is one of the latest technologies offering a level of convenience that fits today’s busy lifestyles.

Providing hot water on demand and eliminating wastage, the steaming hot water tap uses less energy than a traditional 40-watt light bulb and , based on average household usage of 10 cups of boiling water per day, is approximately 20% cheaper to operate than a standard electric kettle. This type of tap also consumes just 20% as much electricity than as heating water on a hob. Its uses are very wide-ranging: from making hot drinks to blanching vegetables, thawing frozen food, preparing pasta and rice, warming baby bottles and food and adding extra shine to silver. Toasters Toasting began as a method of prolonging the life of bread. It was a common activity in Roman times, and the origin of the word toast is ‘tostum’ the Latin for scorching or burning. The first electric toaster was invented in 1893 in the UK by Crompton and Co. It only toasted one side of the bread at a time and required someone to stand by and turn it off manually when the toast looked done. The modern pop-up toaster was invented in 1919.

Facts & Information on the Electric Iron Invention: Learn the Working Parts of an Electric Iron Parts of an Electric Iron Sole Plate The sole plate is the thick, triangular-shaped slab of iron that forms the base over which the electric iron is built up. The bottom surface and edges are heavily chromium plated, to prevent it from rusting. The base plate should hold the iron pressure plate and cover plate in position. For this purpose we can see two or sometimes three studs in the base plate. These studs aid in holding the position of cover plate and pressure plate. Pressure Plate This plate is generally called the top plate as it follows the shape of sole plate. The pressure plate has some holes through which the studs form the base plate passes through. We should tighten the nuts on the studs in such a way that the pressure plate and sole plate are pressed tight against each other. In some iron the pressure plate is heavy and made of cast iron while in some other cases, it is a thin sheet of steel, about ¼ cm thick. In automatic type of electric iron, the pressure plate has a rectangular or circular hole for locating the thermostat.

slide 4 of 7 Learn various facts and information about the electric iron invention including the working parts of an electric iron and a typical schematic. The various parts include heating element, pilot lamp, handle, cover plate, thermostat, capacitor, bimetallic switch, and others are explained. Learn these facts of the electric iron including diagrams and pictures. slide 5 of 7 Parts of electric Iron [contd...] The Heating Element The heating element is present between the sole plate and pressure plate. It is pressed hard between the two plates. The heating element consists of nichrome wire wound around a sheet of mica. The two ends of the nichrome wire are connected to the contact strips. The contact strips are connected to the terminals of the iron. There are two reasons for which mica is chosen in the heating material. Mica is a very good insulating material. Besides that mica can also withstand very high temperatures. The entire assembly of mica sheet, nichrome wire and contact strips are riveted together resulting in a mechanically sound and robust construction. There is an asbestos sheet, which separates and thermally insulates the top plate from the heating element. The Cover Plate The cover plate is made of thin sheet of iron.

It is placed on top of the base plate and it covers all the internal parts of the iron. The handle and connector are only attached to the cover plate. Handle The handle can be made either with wood or with plastic. The handle is attached to the cover plate with the aid of screws. Studs can also be used for this purpose. Pilot Lamp The pilot lamp is housed in the cover plate of the electric iron. One end of the pilot lamp is connected to supply, while the other end is connected to the heating element. A shunt resistance is provided across the pilot lamp which assists in providing a voltage drop. The shunt is designed to provide a voltage drop of 2-5 volts. Thermostat When it comes to an automatic electric iron, the thermostat is the most important item. It uses a bimetallic strip to operate the switch which is connected in series with the resistance (or) heating element. The bimetallic strip is a simple element which converts a temperature change into mechanical displacement. A bimetallic strip consists of two different metals bonded together. The two metals should have a different coefficient of expansion. If such a strip is heated, it starts to curve towards the metal having the lower co-efficient of expansion.

On cooling, it straightens and comes back to the normal position. Now we might wonder why such an element is used in iron. What is the purpose of this element in an electric iron? The bimetallic strip is attached to a contact spring through small pins. The contact point between the strip and contact points remains closed. When the temperature rises significantly, the unusual expansion causes the strip to curve and the contact between strip and contact spring opens. Thus the supply to heating element is temporarily stopped (until the temperature goes down to normal). A special device called the cam is placed is placed near the contact spring, with which we specify the amount of curving of bimetallic strip required to separate the contact. Thus using bimetallic strip the temperature is kept constant within certain limits. Capacitor The thermostat helps in maintaining the temperature within limits. But frequent making and breaking of circuit damages the contact points and it may also result in interference with radio reception. To avoid this, a capacitor of certain range is connected across the two contact points.

slide 6 of 7 Working When a current is passed through the heating element which is placed between the sole plate and pressure plate, the element gets heated up and transfers its heat to the sole plate through conduction and in-turn the sole plate also gets heated up. Now to remove the wrinkles in clothing, we should apply heat and pressure. Heat is formed due to the coil and when we press the clothes with iron, the wrinkles are removed. For maintaining the optimum temperature, a thermostat is used along with pilot lamp which serves as an indicator. slide 7 of 7 Electric junk - Ockham's Razor - ABC Radio National (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) what are these? Transcript Robyn Williams: So, July 4th, American Independence Day and a day marking the death of both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, two presidents who'd signed the Declaration. And so we'll have to give a nod to America in today's talk from Trevor McAllister about light, and, of course, Thomas Edison is part of the story. But it's also one about gadgets, innovation and, inevitably, a sustainable future in America and Australia. Trevor McAllister.

Trevor McAllister: During Earth Hour on March 28th in Melbourne we had environmentalists dining and reading by candlelight while not far away the Grand Prix circuit was bathed in floodlight, a dramatic example of the huge cultural gap between those who would like to reduce their greenhouse emissions from electricity and those who don't care, and intend to continue their profligate ways. Our dependence on electricity began with the incandescent light bulb. These will soon be unavailable in Australia, but it may be some time before we see a decrease in household power consumption. Lighting contributes only about 10% of total household electricity demand. Much more comes from appliances which clutter the average Australian home -- refrigerators, microwaves, dishwashers, washing machines, plasma televisions, computers, air conditioners. The first electric lights were lamps, dazzling bright electric discharges of several hundred candle power, struck, between carbon electrodes fed by batteries. The arc lamp was invented by Humphry Davy in 1807, but was too bright for households and was only used to light public places once a reliable electric generator had been developed by Gramme in Paris in 1871.

In Melbourne, the most notable floodlit event was a footy game at the MCG on 6th August, 1879 between Collingwood Artillery and East Melbourne. In that year, the incandescent lamp was invented separately by Swan and Edison, and gave a much less bright light of about 16 candle power, suitable for domestic use. In 1882, the first incandescent lamps in Australia were brought to Sydney from New York by HH Kingsbury, who had been following the progress of Edison's new power station at Pearl Street in Manhattan. The first public building in Australia to be lit by the new lamps was the Martin Place GPO in May. Marvellous Melbourne was loathe to be outdone by Sydney, so in June the Australian Electric Light Company and a group of interested businessmen staged a demonstration of electrical technologies in the Athenaeum Hall, on Collins Street, where since 1842 many exhibitions and civic events had been held. The governor of Victoria, Lord Normanby, was invited to open the proceedings on Monday 12th June.

Presiding was the future Professor of Engineering at the university, William Charles Kernot, chairman of the Australian Electric Light Company which had been founded by Robert E. Joseph, a Swanston Street jeweller in 1879. The governor made a brief speech and declared the exhibition open. The switches were closed to the electric supply carried on overhead wires across Little Collins Street from the Australian Electric Light company's building in Russell Place. In the Russell Place building, a coal-fired steam engine drove the generator, which produced direct current, DC electricity at 100 volts. Swan incandescent lamps mounted on the gaseliers lit up the gloom of the midwinter afternoon. The show stealers were the completely furnished drawing room from Cullis, Hill and Company, and the billiard room, from Alcock and Company, both lit by the new Swan lamps. It's not recorded whether another board member of the Australian Electric Light Company, the Victorian Government Astronomer, Robert Lewis John Ellery, F.R.S., was present to view the new technology which would eventually plague his profession with light pollution.

He might have been too engrossed with plans for observing the coming transit of Venus, in December, from his new observatory in the Botanic Gardens. DC electricity at 100 volts potential is limited by the consequences of Ohm's law, volts equals current times resistance. The longer the cable, the greater the resistance, so the current available from the generator dropped off rapidly with distance, and beyond a city block the light available was too feeble. Joseph's company proceeded in September to light the nearby Opera House, the future Tivoli Theatre in Bourke Street with 120 Swan lamps, again powered from the company generator in Russell Place. But the extension of electric lighting to other city buildings, such as Parliament House and the Public Library, required the installation of generators on site. Across the world in New York at 3pm on September 4th, 1882, Edison started up the supply from his Pearl Street power station in a ceremony held in the offices of Drexel and Morgan at the corner of Wall Street with Broad. Edison's operation was on a much larger scale than Joseph's.

Six 100 kW dynamos were used, connected to buildings in lower Manhattan by underground cables and supplying the electricity at 110 volts DC to 400 lamps of 16 Candle Power, about 25 Watts, for 85 customers, including The New York Times. Edison was a champion of DC power, but his partisan efforts in its defence were of no avail. DC was steadily replaced by alternating current, AC, first demonstrated with success in Italy in 1884, when AC power was transmitted over a 40 kilometre cable to an exhibition in Turin. With the invention of the transformer, AC power could be generated at high voltage and transmitted over long distances with little current loss, to be transformed to lower voltage and higher current nearer to the user. Current was what was required to light the incandescent lamps, and to drive the increasingly useful electric motors. Smaller electric power companies in Melbourne merged and eventually the city council opened its own power station in Spencer Street, in August 1894.

Electric motors for industry and the new electric trams were the boom market for electric power before the 1914/18 war, a demand actively sought by the power companies, in order to fully utilise the plant installed to provide lighting, which was little used during the daytime. The new State Electricity Commission of Victoria, formed in 1919 to generate electricity from the brown coal of Gippsland and make Victoria independent of New South Wales black coal, installed plant to supply this motive power during the 1920s, but with the slump in industrial use due to the Great Depression in 1929, spare capacity became available and the marketing challenge was to create the demand to employ the idle plant. A revealing SECV pamphlet, published in 1931, set out the case for stimulating electricity demand by promoting the sale of domestic electrical appliances. It estimated that the average per capita domestic electricity use in Victoria was 400 kilowatt hours yearly, whereas in Niagara Falls in Canada, amply supplied by hydro electricity, the average was 3000 kwH.

In 1931, the estimated upper limit for an all-electrical house, equipped with water heater, electric cooker, washing machine, refrigerator and vacuum cleaner was 7000 kwH. This would represent a steady demand of 1 kW all year. Last year my household used about 4k,500 kwH, to supply about 25 compact fluorescent lamps, one electric oven, one microwave, one blender, one coffee maker, one washing machines, one dishwasher, one television set and recorder, one radio and CD player, two computers, one vacuum cleaner, one iron, one air conditioner, and two ceiling fans, not all of which were operating at once. Domestic appliances using electric motors were invented in the early 20th century: electric fans in 1902, washing machines in 1907, vacuum cleaners in 1908, refrigerators in 1912. All of these had been preceded by the invention of electric irons and ovens in the 1880s, in the earliest days of public electricity supply.

The partial replacement of human labour with machine-driven cleaning and washing, and the convenience of the electric iron, plus the benefits of refrigerated food, contained the seeds of a social revolution, the full effects of which were not felt until the post-1945 economic boom. Then, white goods showrooms multiplied and fortunes were made. Household electricity demand increased apace, interrupted only occasionally by a power cut or a blown fuse. Vaclav Smil records in his 2003 book Energy at the Crossroads that American households in 2000 had 30 kW of electricity capacity, in comparison with 4KW in 1950 and about half a kW in 1900. The 1900 house would have had only a few electric lamps of low wattage, the 1950, 12 lamps, a refrigerator, electric oven, washing machines, TV and radio. Most modern households probably could not give an accurate account of all their electrical appliances. Smil estimates that there would be at least 80 electric outlets in the modern mansion of average 400 sq metres area!

Quite apart from the enormous task of overcoming vested interests in the energy market, the enormous adjustment in domestic behaviour that will be required in developing countries, is outlined in a paper by Daniel Spreng, published in the journal Energy Policy in 2005. Spreng coins the concept of 'Energy Equity', which is presumably the desired goal of contraction and convergence. At present, he reckons that the average energy use per capita in the world is about 2 kW, that is of all energy sources, electric, oil, gas, coal, wood, even dung fuel. If we are to restrain climate change we need to stabilise energy use as close to this value as possible, mostly by changes in behaviour in the developed world, where the average energy use per capita is well above 2kW, being about 30 kW in the USA and 18 kW in Australia.

Spreng cites the estimate from India of a half kW average per capita energy use which gives two cooked meals a day, light from a kerosene lamp, an d the indirect energy to produce the food and clothing and shelter consumed 2kW per capita will certainly take us back to the 1930s when the SEC pamphlet was written, alleviated perhaps by the gains in efficiency of energy use since then. There are some who believe that we can get out of jail free by offsetting our emissions from power consumption. Offsetting greenhouse emissions seems to me to be similar in principle to the sale of indulgences by the church in Medieval Europe -- you pay your money, and you go on sinning. The process encourages a feelgood factor, but there is no guarantee that the carbon credits claimed by the offsetting agencies will be realised, whether the free CFLs will be installed, or the promised trees planted and nurtured to maturity. It's hard to imagine the necessary change to a low carbon economy occurring without considerable pain and restraint. Attempts to compensate for that pain will only delay the inevitable moment when most of those appliances will have to be disconnected. So, go turn them off ... now!

Robyn Williams: But not your radio, which needs very little juice of course. That was Dr Trevor McAllister, who's a chemist and was once with CSIRO. Next week, Sue Taylor gets on a small boat, heads south through very rough seas, and tries to spot an albatross or three. I'm Robyn Williams.

Question: Which domestic appliance was invented by H W Seeley in 1882?
Answer: Electric Iron